Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for psychological and physical well-being.
The use of aromatherapy and healing plants can be traced back to all the major ancient civilizations of the world. Through trial and error, our ancestors learned the best uses for plants and their essences. This highly prized healing wisdom has been passed down through the ages to become herbal medicine and aromatherapy as we know them today
The "essence" of a plant is stored in its secretory cells, most often located near the surface of the plant. This is why scent is released when you brush past aromatic plants.
The usual process to release plant essence is called steam distillation; this creates subtle chemical changes resulting in essential oils.
Essential Oils Used in The Faery's Tub Products
(listed alphabetically)
Basil — Ocimum basilicum. Uplifting, known for its ability to awaken the senses. The scent brings clarity and mental strength while relieving intellectual fatigue. It has a beneficial action on the respiratory tract and is often used for asthma, bronchitis and sinus infections. It is also effective in cases of constipation, nausea, vomiting and cramps, easing sinus congestion and cooling down fevers. Basil is also known to help ease menstrual cramps and regulate menstrual cycles.
Benzoin — Styrax benzoin. Benzoin has a rich, slightly woody, creamy vanilla scent. It is calming to the nervous and digestive systems, has a warming effect on circulation, and a toning effect on the respiratory tract. Benzoin improves elasticity of the skin, and aids in the healing sores while reducing redness, irritation and itching.
Bergamot — Citrus bergamia. Bergamot is most well known for its antidepressant and soothing abilities. This uplifting oil that is useful when treating nervousness, anxiety and insomnia. Bergamot's antiseptic properties make it excellent for oily, acneic and infected skin conditions, psoriasis, eczema and cold sores. This oil also has a powerful effect on stimulating the liver, stomach, and spleen and has a superb antiseptic effect on urinary tract infections and inflammations such as cystitis.
Black Pepper — Piper nigrum. This warm and spicy essential oil is stimulating for the mind; aiding concentration and strengthening the nerves. A grounding oil, helpful with coldness, indifference and apathy. It encourages change, positive thought, and action. A warming oil, excellent for poor circulation, anemia, and after heavy bleeding, it is invaluable for muscular aches and pains of all descriptions. Restores tone to the skeletal muscles and generally dispels toxins.
Clary Sage — Salvia sclarea. Profoundly relaxing and balancing, Clary Sage is a powerful muscle relaxant, especially useful where muscle tension arises from mental or emotional stress. Banishes mood swings and lifts depressive states. Calming to the nervous system, particularly in cases of depression, stress and insomnia. Antispasmodic properties make it an excellent choice for menstrual cramping. It is soothing in skin care — for inflamed skin, and may help to stimulate hair growth.
Frankincense — Boswellia carterii. Also known as Olibanum. Once used solely as incense for meditation, the woody aroma of Frankincense is known to have a wonderfully calming effect on the mind, helping to create inner peace, while soothing the body as well. It eases all aches and pains, clears the lungs and acts as a skin tonic. Frankincense oil is said to help rejuvenate ageing skin and help to calm anxiety and obsessive states linked to the past.
German Chamomile — Matricaria chamomilla. This essential oil calms red, dry and irritated skin, as well as calming allergies, eczema, psoriasis and all other flaky skin problems. It promotes healing and is also a great tissue regenerator. It is excellent in treating any type of inflammation, and is very effective on urinary stones (bladder gravel) as well. It stimulates the liver and gall bladder, thereby improving digestion and is valuable in treating menstrual and menopausal problems.
Ginger — Zingiber officinale. Ginger is warming, stimulating and grounding. It helps with pain relief and detoxification. Effective for aching muscles, rheumatism, stomach cramps and nausea. Firey and dynamic, ginger activates willpower, and restores determination. Ginger oil is well suited to help ease colds and flu, nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness, muscle aches and pains, as well as poor circulation and arthritic pain. Its warming qualities are good to use for feelings of loneliness and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), and its energizing properties make it a good aphrodisiac.
Grapefruit — Citrus paradisi. Grapefruit oil is uplifting, euphoric and cleansing. It is known to rejuvenate the spirit and revive the senses. The oil is wonderful as a lymphatic stimulant, helping release excess water and toxins. Good results have also been reported on its use to aid drug withdrawal. In skin and body care it benefits oily or congested skin, improves elasticity and helps the body release toxins.
Ho Leaf — Ho Leaf has recently been used as a replacement for (endangered) Rosewood Essential Oil because of their similar chemical properties. It is known to be both stimulating and relaxing to the mind. Ho Leaf is grounding, calming, comforting and valuable during meditation. It is also reported to have anti-depressant, anti-microbial, anti-septic, aphrodisiac, and bactericidal properties. There are claims that it can play a role as a cellular stimulant, cephalic, and tissue regenerator.
Jasmine — Jasminum officinalis. This essential oil deeply relaxes, lifts depression and boosts confidence, eases childbirth, helps with sexual problems, sooths coughing and tones and improves skin elasticity, while helping to reduce stretch marks and scars. It is a valuable remedy in cases of severe depression and soothes the nerves, producing a feeling of confidence, optimism and euphoria, while revitalizing and restoring energy. Jasmine oil tones all skin types, increases elasticity, and is often used to assist with stretch marks and to reduce scarring.
Juniper Berry — Juniperus communis. The fresh, woody aroma of Juniper oil can help calm nerves, relieve anxiety, nervous tension and mental exhaustion. Juniper oil generally helps with the digestive system, particularly in cases of obesity, over-indulgence of food and premenstrual bloating. It has a tonic effect on the liver and helps regulate the menstrual cycle and eases painful period pains. It assists with the elimination of uric acid and therefore relieves pain in cases of gout, rheumatism and arthritis. It is helpful for treating cellulite and fluid retention. Juniper oil is also very effective for acne, eczema, oily skin, weeping eczema, psoriasis and dandruff and alleviates inflammation.
Lavender — Lavandula angustifolia. The most versatile and useful essential oil; it relaxes, soothes and restores balance to mind and body. It is a natural antibiotic, antiseptic, antidepressant and sedative. It also stimulates the immune system and contributes to the healing process. Lavender oil has a soothing and calming effect on the nerves, relieving tension, depression, panic, hysteria and nervous exhaustion in general and is effective for headaches, migraines and insomnia. It is also very beneficial for problems such as bronchitis, asthma, colds, laryngitis, halitosis, throat infections and whooping cough and helps the digestive system deal with colic, nausea, vomiting and flatulence. Lavender oil relieves pain when used for rheumatism, arthritis, lumbago and muscular aches and. It is also used to clean wounds and to treat burns.
Myrrh — Commiphora myrrha. Myrrh finds one of its largest uses in skin care. Scalp irritations, athlete's foot (fungal infections), dandruff, dry and irritated skin and mature complexions are all helped by oil blends with myrrh. Other long-term afflictions such as chapped and cracked skin, eczema and psoriasis also respond well. Myrrh also produces wonderful results when used to treat female complaints, skin ailments, as well as detoxifying the body and expelling mucus and phlegm from the body. It is used for diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence and haemorrhoids.
Patchouli — Pogostemon cablin. Great for fighting depression and anxiety, Patchouli is also anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, fungicidal, and a cell regenerator. It helps break down cellulite while stimulating growth of new skin cells, speeding up healing and preventing ugly scars forming when wounds heal. It has a great deodorizing action, and helps when feeling hot and bothered, while cooling down inflammations and assisting with wound healing. Patchouli oil is very effective for healing rough, cracked, overly dehydrated skin, and is used to treat acne, acne, eczema, sores, ulcers, any fungal infections, as well as scalp disorders. Patchouli oil has a balancing effect on the emotions and banishes lethargy, while sharpening the wits.
Peppermint — Mentha piperita. Peppermint stimulates, invigorates and refreshes the senses. This refreshing essential oil is used in aromatherapy to stimulate the mind, increase mental agility and to increase focus, while cooling the skin, reducing redness and calming irritation and itchiness. It helps to ease spastic colon, migraine, headaches, sinus and chest congestion and boosts the digestive system. Peppermint oil is excellent for mental fatigue and depression, refreshing the spirit and stimulating mental agility and improving concentration.
Rose Absolute — Rosa damascen. Rose fights depression, grief, anger and fear, and looks after your heart and digestive system, while being the most wonderful remedy for female problems and one of the best oils to use on the skin. Rose oil soothes and harmonizes the mind and helps with depression, anger, grief, fear, nervous tension and stress and at the same time addresses sexuality, self-nurturing, self esteem and dealing with emotional problems. It is rather effective for moisturizing and hydrating the skin, while having a general stimulant and antiseptic action, which is good for all skin types, but especially so for dry, mature and irritated skin. It is used to repair broken capillaries, inflammation as well as skin redness and is useful in eczema and herpes.
Rose Geranium — Pelargonium graveolens. This crisp and rosy essential oil stimulates the adrenal cortex and helps to balance the nervous system, while lifting depression and relieving anxiety and has a regulatory effect on the hormonal system, clearing sluggish and oily skin, while assisting with healing. Geranium balances the production of sebum making it valuable for skin that is excessively oily or dry. Its spicy, floral aroma is also well known for its balancing and refreshing qualities. On the lymphatic system it has a greatly stimulating effect and with that helps with detoxifying the body and also affects female health in treating PMS as well as balancing vaginal secretions and heavy periods.
Rosemary — Rosmarinus officinalis. Crisp smelling Rosemary clears the sinuses and stimulates the brain, improving memory and mental clarity, while helping with a variety of congested respiratory tract problems, stiff muscles, coldness as well as boosting the liver and gall bladder. It is also used for improving hair growth and scalp health. The diuretic properties of rosemary oil are useful with reducing water retention during menstruation, and also with obesity and cellulite. On the skin, it helps to ease congestion, puffiness and swelling and can also be used for acne, dermatitis and eczema.
Spearmint — Mentha spicata. Spearmint is cooling and uplifting, it is great for when your mind needs a lift. It also helps with headaches, migraines, nervous strain, fatigue and stress. Great for the respiratory system, it soothes asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis. Useful in dealing with digestive problems including flatulence, constipation, diarrhea and nausea, as it relaxes the stomach muscles and also relieves hiccups. On the skin it can relieve the itching, and helps with acne, dermatitis, congested skin and sore gums.
Sweet Orange — Citrus sinensis. A symbol of happiness and warmth, Sweet Orange is known to help refresh the mind, stimulate circulation and calm nervous digestive problems. It deals very well with colds and flu, eliminates toxins and stimulates the lymphatic system, while supporting collagen formation in the skin. It is a good diuretic and is most useful in balancing water retention and obesity. Its lymphatic stimulant action further helps to balance water processes, detoxification, aiding the immune system and general well being. It is also useful in cases of nervous tension and stress.
Vetivert — Vetiveria zizanoides. Calms and soothes the mind, helping to dispel anger, hysteria and irritability. Deeply relaxing and soothing for the mind, Vetiver is also great for the skin. It is used to reduce wrinkles and stretch marks while nourishing and moisturizing the skin and helping wounds heal. Once known in India as the "oil of tranquility," it revitalizes the body and helps with mental and physical exhaustion. It is also used for general aches and pains, especially for rheumatism, arthritis and muscular pain, while relieving insomnia.
Ylang Ylang — Cananga odorata. Exotic and extremely floral. Ylang Ylang is an antidepressant, aphrodisiac and a sedative. It has a wonderfully balancing and stimulating effect on the skin, to correct sebum production and is also used to stimulate luxurious hair growth. Ylang-ylang oil has a euphoric and sedative effect on the nervous system and helps with anxiety, tension, shock, fear and panic while the aphrodisiac qualities is useful for impotence and frigidity.
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